Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne has appointed the largest British-owned transport advertising company, Adbus Ltd, as media sales managers. Adbus will now be the sole appointed organisation to obtain contracts for advertisements and promotions on all CalMac’ ships, and in owned ferry terminals

From April 1, 2004, Adbus are working in partnership with CalMac as partners to provide the best service possible for the ferry company’s customers and potential advertisers, performing a fully serviced management role in CalMac’s own advertising sales and promotion operation.

Adbus, who will be operating from their Scottish base in Clydebank, employs local and regional salespeople selling advertising space with Regional Display Manager Stevie Henderson now responsible for maintaining and monitoring all the adverts.

CalMac’s Head of Marketing Hugh Dan MacLennan said: “The management of our advertising sites has for some time been problematic and we believe that by outsourcing the contract to a company with the expertise and experience of Adbus we will be able to offer potential advertisers a better service all-round, with a higher quality product and consistency of pricing and procedure throughout the network. CalMac currently does not have the expertise or resources to do that properly. We have gone to great lengths to research the product we had on offer and this move is designed to help us meet the aspirations of our current and potentially new advertisers, while at the same time offering our five million passengers a standard of advert in keeping with the standards we would ourselves wish to promote through our services. Having absorbed increasing costs and held our advertising rates at the same level for some time, there will be a short-term adjustment in the rates we are charging. The new arrangement should, however, be in everyone’s interests and we look forward to working with the Adbus staff to make it work successfully.”

Andrew Walker, Managing Director of Adbus Ltd said: “We are delighted to have won the contract to service the CalMac sites and look forward also to building a successful relationship with the existing clients and the new ones we will be approaching. We will relieve CalMac of the burden of managing the sites in what is an extensive network, geographically spread and diverse in its various elements. The contract represents a great challenge for us as a company in a new area, geographically as well as in transport terms. We offer a full range of production and design services and we will make an immediate and obvious impact on CalMac’s advertising.”

CalMac will be working with Adbus in the coming weeks and months to identify new sites for advertising and have begun contacting existing advertisers and businesses, and will advertising on current sites throughout the network to explain their activities.

Mr Walker added: “Customer liaison is vital and we contact all customers regularly throughout their order periods to check that they are happy with their product, to find out if they would like to increase their order and to smooth the way for the customer to renew and/or increase their placements.  Adbus looks forward to working with CalMac staff throughout the network to our mutual benefit.”

ends

For further information on the contents of this News Release, please contact Hugh D MacLennan, Public Affairs Manager/Head of Marketing, CalMac; Tel: 0776 435 4021; e-mail hugh.maclennan@calmac.co.uk; or Paul McLoughlin, Adbus Development Manager, (mobile 07766 140030); Adbus Ltd, East Parade, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5LT. Tel 01423 526253; Fax 01423 502522; e-mail info@adbus.co.uk.     

Issued:  Tuesday, April 13, 2004: 1100